A large number of chemical handling operations have to be conducted in sealed areas because the chemicals being handled are highly toxic. This group of operations includes processes for handling radioactive materials.
Maintenance on the chemical handling equipment used in such operations is extremely awkward, because it has to be performed in the ultra-hazardous sealed area. The maintenance could be greatly simplified, however, if the chemical handling equipment could be modular in construction, and could be decoupled and recoupled by remote means. The ability to decouple individual modules of the chemical handling equipment would allow the transport of such modules in need of maintenance to a decontamination area where the module could be detoxified. After being detoxified, maintenance on the module could be accomplished safely and in an ordinary work area. The module could then be recoupled to the remainder of the chemical handling equipment, again, preferably, by remotely controlled means.
To accomplish this, there is a need for a remotely controlled equipment coupler capable of being used with chemical handling equipment.